The Boston Bruins played host to the Montreal Canadiens in Boston Garden last night.

The contest was rough and tumble throughout. The Boston fans were loud and raucous the entire game, hoping to urge their Bruins to avenge and earlier 5-2 loss to the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

The First Period offered only a few remote scoring chances for each club as the two teams felt each other out. The physical play did take a toll for both teams. Each was whistled for six penalty minutes, but each power play opportunity turned up empty. The very tensely played First Period ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

The Second Period began escalating the friction level of the previous period. Bruin Don McKenney slapped home a shot from the left face-off circle to put the Bruins up, 1-0. Assists from line mates, Real Cheverfils and Leo Labine aided in the tally. On the play, Montreal goalie, Jaques Plante came up injured and though he kept his post between the pipes, was clearly not himself the rest of the game.

The Second Period saw twelve penalty minutes doled out to each team. Tempers were bubbling, but not a single fight broke out. Montreal had a man advantage from a Boston slashing penalty near the end of the period. Canadien left-winger Maurice Richard found a solid scoring chance on the power play, but his shot was smothered by goalie Don Simmons.

Montreal still hoped to score an equalizer on that same power play, but Canadien hopes were dashed when Bruin Larry Reagan tipped away a pass, McKenney found the puck, skated in on Plante and put it past him for a short-handed goal. Boston took a 2-0 lead that held up until the end of the Second Period.

Boston's penalties plagued them at the start of the Third Period, but the Montreal power play was held scoreless again when winger Dickie Moore's shot was knocked away by Simmons. Bruin Cheverfils found a lapse in the Canadien defense, even with the Montreal man-advantage, and nearly pushed a shot into the goal, but Plante was up to the challenge and caught the puck in his mitt.

The Canadiens finally cracked the Boston Garden scoreboard half way through the period when defenseman Dollard St. Laurent took a Henri Richard pass at the point and sent a shot through past a screen in front of goalie Simmons and into the twine. Montreal had cut the lead down to one goal, 2-1.

Montreal's defense kept the area clear in front of Plante for the remainder of the period. Boston's defense was equally able.

The game was still roughly played, but each team was careful not to give the other an advantage of any kind. With four minutes remaining in the game, Montreal's M. Richard skated along the left boards with the puck and broke to his left in front of the net. A trademark wrister flew off Richard's stick. The puck was knocked away by Simmon's stick and then cleared away by the defense. Boston's defense allowed no further scoring space the rest of the game.

A tense and tough game was ended to cheers from the sold-out Boston crowd.

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1956-57 Montreal Canadiens Season Replay

What This Is

A replay of the Montreal Canadiens' 1956-57 season. Originally scheduled to be full season replay, I had to break down and only play through Montreal's schedule. I will compare the replay season's won/loss record and player statistics to those of the actual 1956-57 Montreal statistics at certain points in the replay season.